The present invention includes an apparatus and method for representing a large system, or a large collection of data, in a visual format, preferably on a computer display.
Methods and systems have been devised for the display of selected portions of large collections of data. One simple method of displaying data is to construct a list of items which satisfy a specified search criterion, and to display the list on a video screen, or to print the list on paper. Another method is to prepare a conventional two-dimensional plot of the data. Still another method is to construct a "tree" which represents various hierarchical levels within the data collection. Another method is to query the system which stores the data collection using one or more key words, and to derive results based on the number of records found which match such key words.
The major disadvantage of the prior art methods mentioned above is that they provide only a limited overview of the data being analyzed. The prior art methods are essentially one-dimensional; they permit the user to view a list, or its equivalent, but they do not provide a complete graphical representation of the data.
Another disadvantage of the methods described above is that they are static. That is, one can query a database to obtain certain results, using the prior art methods, but one cannot easily navigate from one area of the data collection to another, except possibly by simple linear movements.
The human mind naturally perceives two and three-dimensional objects in space. The present invention takes advantage of this natural ability of the human mind, by providing a system and method which provides two-dimensional visual representations of collections of data, especially large collections of data. The visual representations produced by the present invention can be conveniently displayed on a computer screen, and in a manner such that the user can navigate easily from one area of the data collection to another.